MISC Projects

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Films Of City Frames

Giorgio Armani, in collaboration with Rai Cinema and Luxottica, presents Films of City Frames; a new project involving
a series of amateur short films created by students from six prestigious filmschools across the globe.

Film Director Paolo Sorrentino enthusiastically participated in this initiative and selected Piero Messina, his
assistant and a graduate of the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, to direct the pilot in which the Oscar winning
Director himself is the main character. The video, produced by Indigo Film, is currently online at
www.framesoflife.com, and on the Armani Facebook page. Messina directed this
thrilling and lyrical short film inspired by Louis Ferdinand Céline's Journey to the End of the Night, and
includes unreleased sequences from Sorrentino's The Great Beauty.

True Spark

True Spark is a non-profit, charitable organization that encourages positive character
and fosters ethical development using inspiring lessons from movies such as Rudy, Pay
It Forward, and October Sky. Ample research demonstrates that US children are exposed
to several hours of media each day and witness a wide variety of good and bad messages
that can dramatically affect their academic and social development. TrueSpark seeks to
reduce the threat posed by harmful media exposure by raising awareness of the issue,
educating audiences, and providing positive media alternatives. TrueSpark will not
promote political viewpoints, environmental platforms, or religious beliefs.

The Media Institute for Social Change is working with True Spark to screen films for students,
and in doing research to measure the efficacy of the True Spark program.

Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media

The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media is the only research-based organization
working within the media and entertainment industry to engage, educate, and influence
the need for gender balance, reducing stereotyping and creating a wide variety of female
characters for entertainment targeting children 11 and under.

The Media Institute for Social Change is happy to be working with Davis on such an
important initiative.

Dembanger

A USC project made in the class "Making Media For Social Change", written and directed by John Berardo.
"A teenager is harassed by a blocked caller who is accessing all of his information from his Facebook page."

Trailer

What Eats The Soul

A USC project made in the class "Making Media For Social Change", written and directed by Eddie Ng.
"A poor college graduate slowly succumbs to the horrible conditions of a cage house he has just moved into."

Trailer

Tsuyako

A USC thesis project written and directed by Mitsuyo Miyazaki.
"In postwar Japan, a factory worker and mother must decide between duty and her freedom."

Trailer

Kavi

A USC thesis project written and directed by Gregg Helvey.
"The story of a young boy who attempts to escape from the brick kiln where he
is forced to work as a bonded labor slave in India."